Electric heater



y 1929- V A. c. GILBERT 1,712,001

ELECTRIC HEATER Filed Oct 1 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. C. GILBERT ELECTRIC HEATER May 7, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1922 Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

Application filed October 16, 1922.

My invention relates to electric heaters of a radiant or reflector type, and it has for its object to provide a heater of this character which shall be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and efficient and safe in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater of this type having a minimum number of parts with all heated or breakable parts amply protected against interference.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an effective guard for the heating element which will not, to any great extent, absorb, or interfere with, the heat rays radiated from the heater.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of the same to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a heater embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 1, certain parts not sectioned, for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 5 is a view partially in section showing the assembly of the reflector, the socket member, the bottom plate of the guard, the insulating washer and the socket guard cap;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the guard for the heating element.

The drawings, attached hereto and forming a part of this application, illustrate a preferred form of heater embodying my invention, but it is to be understood that various modifications are possible in the structural features of the same without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A reflector 10 is shown constructed of one piece of thin sheet material pressed in the form of a segment of a hollow sphere, having a flanged edge 11. The reflector has the usual highly polished concave reflecting surface 12 and is pivotally mounted to swing in a vertical plane upon a standard 13 by a simple and novel method. I

The reflector 10 is clamped between two plates 14 and 15 at a point substantially midway between the center and the circumference thereof by suitable fastening means Serial No. 594,843.

16. A pair of angle members 17 and 18 are secured to the rear plate by the same fastening means. These angle members are pivotally secured to the standard 13 at 19 by means of a bolt 20 and thumb nut 21. The plates 14 and 15 extend over a considerable area of the surface of the reflector and therefore strengthen and support the same at a point, which, due to the thinness of the material used, would be liable to become distorted upon the angular adjustment of the reflector relative to the standard. Being supported off center the heater is capable of use very close to the floor of a room and, therefore, the heat generated is more fully utilized in its passage outward and upward.

A two part socket, of the type used in electric sign manufacture, is used for holdmg a heating element and comprises a base or outer member 22, having a threaded shell contact 23 and center contact 24 secured thereon and the necessary exterior connectors (not shown) for connection with the service wires 25, and a front or inner member 26 provided with interior threads for securing the same upon the threaded shell contact for the purpose of drawing the two parts together. The front member is further provided with an annular ring 27, which when the member is screwed upon the shell 23, extends through an opening 28 in the center of the reflector 10 between the edges of the same and the contact shell and into a recess 46 in the outer member 22, whereby the shell 23 is insulated from the reflector 10.

A heating element of the well known type, having the necessary screw terminal adapted to fit into the shell contact 23,.is illustrated at 29. Entirely surrounding the heating element 29 and located wholly within the reflector isa substantially globe shaped guard 30 of novel construction. This guard has an annular base plate 31 provided with a socket portion 32 and a flange 33. A plurality of wires 34 are secured to the flange 33 and extend radially upward and outward from the same over a supporting ring 35. The wires then converge at the forward end of the guard beyond the ring 35 and are secured together in any suitable manner. As shown, the wires 34 are threaded through openings provided in a washer 36 and hav ing the wire ends crimped over the surface of the same. A cover plate 37 is provided which is secured over the washer 36 to cover the wire ends from view.

The guard is clamped to the reflector between. the reflector and a shoulder 38 formed upon the member 26 by the annular ring 27, which shoulder fits into the socket portion 32 of the base plate 31. An insulating washer 39 is preferably placed be tween the guard and the reflector to assist in the clamping and allay possible heat conduction between the parts.

The base member 2 of the two part socket is supported and enclosed by a cap 40 preferably of sheet metal. The cap 40 comprises a cylindrical portion 44 and a dome-shaped end and is provided with a plurality of inturned ears or lugs 41 which by engagement with a forwardly directed shoulder formed upon the base secure the base 22 within the cap and preferably support the base out of contact with the rear of the reflector. The edge 42 of the cap seats against the rear of the reflectorand therefore the cap with the front member 26 of the two part socket may serve as the means whereby the reflector and guard are positioned and securely fastened to gether. An insulating bushing 43 is provided for the cap through which the service wires 25 are threaded.

The guard being located wholly within the concave portion of the reflector, is, to a certain extent, surrounded by the reflector. This construction safeguards the user against possible contact with the heated wires of the guard and further tends to prevent the user from using the guard as a handle. Being necessarily of smaller diameter than when attached to the outer rim of the reflector, as has been the usual practice heretofore, the guard wires may be fewer in number and, therefore, there will be less absorption of and interference with the radiated heat rays. By the use of a fewer number of spaced apart portions or wires of the guard, openings are formed in the surface thereof between these wires of comparatively large area, which adapts the guard to permit a better circulation of air about the heating element enclosed thereby. Not bein directly connected to the reflector, the heat absorbed by the guard structure is not conducted to the reflector and, there being fewer wires and, therefore, less backward reflection of heat rays, it has been found that the reflector itself is, to a marked degree, cooler while in use. It is, therefore, unnecessary to provide a protecting backing or plate, or even a handle, as the reflector may be handled while in use without danger to the user.

As is obvious from the above description, the number of parts necessary to provide an eflicient and safe heater has been reduced to a minimum whereby the manufacturing expense is reduced. The novel guard construction allows the use of fewer heat ray interfering wires and the use of the two part socket as securing means with the assistance of the rear cap assures simplicity in as sembly. Though simple in construction, all the parts of the heater are effectively guarded against breakage and interference, and the device is sufliciently rigid to withstand all reasonable usage and especially safe to use.

Various alterations and modifications in the details of the construction, herein described, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims."

Vhat I claim is:

1. In an electric heater of the type described, a reflector having an opening therein, a two part socket mounted upon the reflector having one part within and one part without the same, said parts cooperating through the opening in said reflector to draw one toward the other, and a cap enclosing the outer part having means thereon whereby the outer part is retained within the cap and the reflector is clamped between the inner part and the cap.

2. In an electrical heater of the type described, a reflector, an outer socket member and a cap for enclosing the same, said cap having a hollow cylindrical portion around said member, the edge of said portion in contact with the back of said reflector and means upon the said edge for retaining the socket member within the said cap.

3. In an electric heater, the combination of a heating element, a reflector therefor having an opening therein, a guard for said heating element entirely surrounding the same and having a base plate provided with an opening, a two part socket having the members thereof adapted to draw one toward the other through the openings in said guard and reflector, and a cylindrical cap over the outer one of said socket members having an edge resting against the outer surface of said reflector, said guard and reflector being clamped together by the drawing together of the socket members.

4. In an electric heater, a heating element, a concave reflector, a guard for said heating element and adapted to permit the circulation of air thereabout, and means for supporting said heating element and guard within and substantially below the periphery of the concave reflector.

5. An electric heater of the radiant type comprising a heating element directly exposed to the air, a reflector having an inner concave portion, a guard surrounding the heating element and disposed within the concave portion of the reflector, and means to clamp the guard to the reflector and coincidently support the heating element.

6. An electric heater of the raoiant type comprising a removable heating element, a reflector having an inner concave portion, a guard having spaced apart portions surrounding the heating element to permit air to circulate thereabout, and means to clamp the guard to the reflector and coincidently support the heating element, said means comprising a two part socket, the members of which are on opposite sides of the reflector and drawable toward each other.

7. An electric heater, comprising a radiant reflector, a removable heating element, a guard surrounding said heating element, said guard including an annular base plate having a socket engaging portion, a heati element socket and an insulating member seated on the socket engaging portion of the annular base plate of the guard to clamp the same to the reflector.

8. In an electric heater, the combination of a heating element, a guard, a socket for holding said heating element, a reflector having a concave reflecting portion, and means to hold said guard in place against the inner surface of the concave reflecting portion of the reflector adjacent the base of the heating element.

9. An electric heater of the radiant type comprising a heating element, a reflector, a guard having openings in the surface thereof surrounding the heating element, means to clamp the guard to the reflector and coincidently to support the heating ele ment, a base for said heater, and means connected to and off center of said reflector, and pivoted to said base, to connect and support said reflector upon said base.

10. An electric heater comprising a pedestal, a concave reflector pivotally mounted thereon, a guard, and a heating element supporter having a shoulder on the periphery thereof to securely clamp said guard within and to the reflector.

11. In an electric heater of the radiant type, the combination of a heating element, a dished reflector, a, guard of substantially less diameter than said reflector, substan tially surrounding said heating element, and means for securing the guard within the dished portion of the reflector, said mea s also being adapted to secure said heat element within the dished portion of said reflector.

12. In an electric heater, the combination of a dished plate-like reflector, a longitudh nally elongated heating element projectin from the central portion thereof, a guard of substantially less diameter than the reflector in the form of a cage and having an open inner end adapted to flt over the inner end of said heating element and to surround the same at the central portion of the reflector, and common means for securing the guard and the heating element to the reflector.

18. In an electric heater of the radiant type, the combination of a dished reflector iaving an opening in the central portion thereof, a substantially cylindrical heating element concentric with said opening projecting upwardly within the reflector, a guard substantially surrounding the heating el ment, a socket having threads into which the heating element is screwed, said socket being located in the opening of the reflector, a cap piece projecting from said reflector at the rear thereof and adapted to cover said socket and the opening in the reflector, said guard being of greater diameter at its middle portion than at its inner end, and means for securing the inner end of the guard in position within the reflector in proximity to the edge of said opening.

14-. In an electric heater of the reflector type the combination of a reflector, a heating element extending away from the surface of said reflector, and a guard for said heating element, said guard comprising a base plate disposed adjacent to the reflector and the inner end of said heating element, a supporting ring surrounding the heating element intermediate the ends thereof and being spaced therefrom, and members secured to the base plate and extending therefrom over said heating element and said supporting ring and converging beyond the outer end of said heating element.

15. In an electric heater of the reflector type the combination of a reflector, a socket disposed adjacent to the surface of said reflector, a heating element extending from said socket, and a guard for said heating element, said guard comprising a base plate adjacent said socket and surrounding the same and radial members secured to the base plate and extending therefrom over said socket and said heating element, and converging beyond the outer end of said heat ing element.

16. In an electric heater, a reflector of relatively thin material, a standard for said reflector, pivotal connections between said standard and said reflector comprising a plate within the reflector, a pair of angles adjacent the outer surface of said reflector, means to connect said plate and angles together to clamp the reflector therebetwecn and means pivotally connecting said angles to said standard, said plate extending from the connecting means for one angle to the connecting means for the other angle and upon the inner surface of said reflector whereby the reflector is rigidly supported thereby.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of October, 1922.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. 

